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Yesterday I tuned into a conference being simultaneously webcasted from MIT called H2.0. It stands for human 2.0, and focused on the Media Lab's research initiatives for augmenting mental and physical capability. It was all about how humans will integrate with technology to heighten cognition, emotional acuity, perception, and physical capabilities. In fact, the research is about using technology to help those with handicaps such as amputees, autism, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s. But as John Hockenberry, who hosted to program, pointed out, a number of technologies that started out as aides for disabled have become mainstream, including the typewriter which was originally developed to help the blind and the phone which was originally intended to help the deaf.

My first impression was to think of analogies to Web 2.0. Interestingly H2.0 also used similar adjectives as we use for Web 2.0 such as agility and adaptability. But they were talking about the human ability to adapt. Indeed it was difficult to think of some of the presenters as disabled as the research who makes computer aided prosthetic limbs showed his competitive advantage in rock and ice climbing, and the super model showed her amazing designer legs. She stated that among models she felt the artificial prosthetics she uses to walk are far less than many of the ones other models have implanted in their body.

I was particularly interested in work being done in Ed Boyden’s neuro physics lab because my son, a graduating senior, is now working in the lab and will be doing his graduate work there starting in June. He is developing tools to affect the neural circuits using lights. Molecules are sensitive to light and they are looking for ways to use light to both drive the firing of neurons and shutting them down. This research is applicable to epilepsy and Parkinson’s. Maybe someday everyone will have light boxes that will help us remember where we put our keys, or people’s names when we randomly meet them on the street.

If you have a bit of time, check out H2.0. If nothing else it’s inspiring to think of how technology can dramatically improve lives.

When I think about the work were do, we also think about how humans interact with technology to improve at least their work lives. BI in Action is all about how people interact with technology to get the right information and metrics at the right time to improve their decision making, efficiency and effectiveness.

Posted by bethgb at 12:32 PM in Industry Trends | Digg This | Add to del.icio.us

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Tracked on May 24, 2007 06:08 AM